Global South Field Research Laboratory, Fudan University (GSFRL-FDU) was officially established in May 2026. Founded under the guidance of Shanghai municipal authorities and supported by Fudan Development Institute, the lab aims to implement the directives outlined in President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter on Fudan University’s 120th anniversary, which calls for “innovations in knowledge, theory, and methodology in the humanities and social sciences.” The lab contributes to national strategic priorities and Shanghai’s development as a “Five-Center” city, undertaking initiatives in talent cultivation, academic research, and collaborative exchanges in regional and Global South studies. The lab emphasizes long-term field research in target countries and the development of primary databases to support research. Its methodology combines participant observation, in-depth interviews, oral histories, archival collection, original database construction, and interdisciplinary study, following a framework of problem-driven inquiry, local evidence collection, comparative validation, and cross-disciplinary integration. The lab is committed to building a knowledge production and data accumulation system focused on the Global South, grounded in real-world contexts. Drawing on sustained field research, the lab seeks to develop an independent, explanatory, and internationally communicable theoretical and discursive framework for regional and country studies.